Process of protecting wood in salt water.



Patented Feng, 1910.

. P. TATR & G. DELIUS.

PBOGESS OP PBCITECTING WOOD IN SLT WATER.

PPLIOTQN FILED JAN. 25, 1909. 948,355.

F i g. 2

m w, u m

m'nesses CHARLES l.V l'.IIA'IERO AND GEORGE EELIUS, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

PROCESS OF PROTECTING WOOD IE' SALT WATER.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 25, 1909. Serial No. 474,122. I

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that We, CHARLES P. TATRo and GEORGE DELIrs', citizens of theeUnited States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of fashingtom have invented' certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Protecting Wood in Salt Taten of which the following is a specification.

It is .Well known that all Woodwork, such as Wharling, piles, and the bottoms of seagoing vessels, located or moving in sea Water, is liable to great injury from marine pests, such as teredo-Worms,barnacles, etc., and the bottoms of seagoing ships are liable to become loadedrwith barnacles, forming so rough a surface that seaweeds and other trash becomes hung thereon, greatly injuring the sailing qualities of the ship.

Therefore'the object of this invention is to provide aneasy, expeditious and inexpensive means for removing these pests from ships7 bottoms, and for protecting from such pests any non-metallic objects located or moving under sea Water.V

. To this end our invention consists in the process for protecting Wood in salt Water hereinafter more fullydescribed, and defi.

nitely stated in the claim.

Figure l, represents a portion of a Wharf supported on a pile protected according to -this invention. Fig. 2, represents, somewhat diagrammatically, a front view of the hull of a Wooden ship, protected according to this invention.

For'protecting piles and other stationary xtures under sea Water, We locate near them and preferably at their opposite sides, and near the bottom or ocean bed, the anode and the cathode of an electric battery. These two poles of the battery must both be in contact with the sea Water so that the circuit of the electric current must be completed through the Water. This passage of electricity directly through the sea water, acts on the salts in solution and has the well known effect of liberating certain chemical elements, such as chlorin, iodin, bromin, etc., and these poisonous elements destroy all lteredo-worms and barnacles Within their reach. To protect seagoing ships We attach one or more anodes and one or more cathodes 4at both sides of the ships prow; both under Water, and both in open electric contact with the Water; but both electrically. insulated from the ship. Now, an electric current 'in or near the mud bottom of the sea, anyl suitable contrivance,

passed through these poles completes its circ'uit through the sea Water close to the shi liberatlng chlorin therein, sails along in service, the chlorin washes its sides throughout its length. This kills the Patented Feb. S, `191e.

and, as the shipv barnacles and they consequently loose their hold and fall oft', lleaving the ships bottom clean.

Numeral 3, Fig. l, represents a portion of a pile driven into the mud bottom 4, and supporting a portion of a. Wharf 5. anode 6, and a cathode 7, are connected by Wires 28 and 9, respectively, With means, such for example as the generator l0, for supplying an electric current. The said. anode and cathode may be held near the pile, but must be entirely insulated therefrom, and by such for example, as blocks of concrete 11, cast around them and resting on the bottom 4e. The anode 6, .may be of carbon and the `cathode 7, of iron, their object being to liberate free chlorin, bromin etc.; but the connections` of these poles with their respective Wires 8 and 9, must be made of electrolytically insoluble material,and the wires mustbe insulated from the Water to preventthem from decomposition. To the ships hull 12,

an anode 6', and a cathode 7', are shown attached to each side of the prow 13. These anodes and cathodes are in open contact With the sea Water and insulated fromthe material o'f the ship, While their Wires 8', 9', are insulated from both the water and the ship, 'and they communicate With some means, such as the generator 10, for supplying an electric current. This device has' no electric. communication with the Wood which is to be protected by it; and this 'process does -not depend upon the direct action of electricity to dest-roy the pests which infest Wood in salt Water. It depends upon the chlorin, bromin, etc., which it liberates in the salt Water by bringing the electric polesin direct contact Withv the Water near the object to be protected.

Seawater being the breath of marine life,

will, when impregnated with chlorin, de-

stroy all such life. This process would protect metal bottomed ships also, from the same pests, but the chlorin would attackv the metal and destroy it by corrosion. I

In comparison with the vvork accomplished, the expense of generatmg the necessary electricity is a mere trifle.

`marine pests, which comprises locating in passingan electric current through these poles, the circuit being completed through i the Water.

The advantages in speed gained, and in ease of handling clean bottomed ships are so many that an attempt to rehearse them Would be inadequate. r In testimony whereof We ax our signa- 1.5

We claim. i tures in presence of two Witnesses.

The process of protecting Wood in salt l, CHARLES P TATRO Water from borers, barnacles and simlar GEORGE DELIUS- the Water near to but. not in contact with I lVitnesses: the object to be protected, a positive ole of l L. B. STEDMAN, insoluble material, and a negative po e, and i ROSE E. MOHR. 

